The annual Agricultural Show at Warragul is announced to take place oii Wednesday, 7th March. Entries will be received up to Thursday next (1st March), bat in the event of anyone finding it im possible to lodge them with; the Secretary on that date they will, without payment of late fee, be ac cepted up till Saturday, 3rd inflt. t See advt ' '

MECHAIS- WSTITUTE Me^g^r mkkting. The monthly meeting of the commit tee of the Trafalgar mechanics' insti i tute was held on Thursday evening, there being present—Messrs. Rons . (president) W. Murray, Morris, Mann, Hey wood, and Johnstone. The minutes of last meeting were read aud confirmed. j CORRESPONDENCE. I A communication was read from the ; Chief Secretary's office stating that ! the Government had allotted £20 to the building fund of the institute, con ditionally on a similar amount being I raised locally.—The secretary had I replied, stating that steps would be ; taken to raise the amount required, and also asking what was the time 1 limit allowed, to which a second com munication- wa9 received stating that the offer would remain open until 31at ! July.—An understanding was arrived at that special efforts would be made to raise the £20, so that the commit» tee would be able to claim the Gov ernment grant, and it was resolved that the matter be fully dealt with at next meetin...

CHAPTER VI. suddenly iiu-ndcd by the numerous cora» pany ins son brought back with him. ,-i i "Vf,'!"? M" Momevrain, Cl o ñ"ny. '"d Wf tfAt Tlie doctor had to tell again from «¡¡d'il Í;"1"'"8 tl,e "OC of Latour, and ilie birth 0/ the tivjn sistei &amp; »on as Robert went up his^room* Francis Bibard came to him. folio»!"yl.lTrUcUoJ?»I,i"1: "dM r°" The sportsman who rescued Made moisoile de Montevraín i,a a- j has dined nearly eiery evening at the château." boLaty?3' d" !ke pe0p,= &amp;lt;"• "» Jrr?M Jay '!" SP°»™an will marry Mademoiselle. ' "is that ail?" at hi"™««1'""' CaSt a rri8h'ened "No, sir," he murmured. What more do you know ?" "1 know that is to say. I am not sure-but it seems tome—" " Come, speak up ; you see (hat I am waiting impatiently." Francis approached his master. You remember the night wfcen when you came out ?*' " Yes—well ?" " And the man you chased V " Well ?> " I was only able to see him for an in nt, but 1 believe all the same that it s this sportsm...

CHAPTER V. Whilst Clotilde was proceeding from surprise to surprise, resigning heiself to everything, and relying on the will of God to deliver her, Robert, after the de parture of his friends, betook himself to Doctor Marbeau. Thtrft his £iie_f..h*d full sway. Sob after sob convulsed his deep chest Y h* fell upon the old doctor's neck, and wept iike a child. " Doctor P he cried : " they have changed my Clotilde. It is not she who is down there, under her mother's roof. I love Clotilde, and I do not love this woman whom that man brought back on a shutter. There is a secret that you alone know. Tell me, 1 implore you." The doctor reflected for a long time, " Do you understand at all what has been happening ?" continued Robert. M. Marbeau hesitatingly entered his " Who knows ?" he murmured : "And yet—in fací, it is possible. What can they have done with her? I must no longer hesitate. She must be saved.1' And, taking Robert's hand : " Listen," he said. " M. de Montévrain was plain and...

DAIRYING NOTES. The riebest milk Í3. tliat which comes from near-the end of the milk ing. A test disclosed -thá't the first i half-pint oí milk at a picking contained only '1.07 per cèht. of cream, whïîf the last haH-pint contained 10.30 peí", cent, of cream. Many devices'have been suggested fqr preventing cows from kicking trhen beiug milked, . but the -fact is that a kicking cow usually has other vices. .send iter to the butcher. A cow that is not gentle, reliable and free from vices, should be made to give way to one that is of good disposition. An English contemporary of recent date says:—Hard things are occasion ally said of our commercial morality bi¿ frankness in advertising certainly seems to be on the increase. Our at tention has been called to an. announce ment concerning a certain firms 'fresh butter,' which states:—'We have re gular supplies of the finest butter the world proauces arriving every week, bought months ago, before the ad At a recent conference of South Gipps...

THE POSITION FURTHER EX ^ 'PLAINED. ^.JS^fiTAXT TO DAIRYMEN. . the iùeeting of the executive com mittee o£ the. Municipal Association of Victoria, helcflast week, the Milk and Dairy Supervision xYct was one of the matters considered. Mr. S. S. Ciàieron, chief veteriuary inspector, was «¿resent, and explained the leading featnves-of the measure, more particularly the sections under which the act may be extended to municipal districts outside the "milk areas." Mr. Cameron pointed out that a municipal council could make a written request to have the act ex tended to its district, and where that was done the council itself would ad minister the law. The Governor in Council, however, also had power to bring the act in any district without any request from the council, and in such a case the Minister of Agriculture would appoint supervisors to carry out the law. It was explained by Mr. Cameron that, owing to the difficulty in obtaining a sufficient number of competent supervisors, it woul...

the missing hand. Adapted From tiie French of Aurelien School. By fi. BRAMFILL HARRISON. CHAPTER IV (Continued). The old man tremble«. " How is it you speak of Monterai* I Have you been there?" " Why, I was there only two or three days ago." " What were you doing there?" " I was with my mother." " Since when ?} " Why, sir, I have never left her." The old man made a gesture of impa "When you left the convent, you made your debut at the Carl Theatre a» Vienna. From there you went to Milan, where you left behind you an infamous reputation.'' Clotilde clasped her hands in suppli " Sir," she said to him weeping : " I The visitor got up. " What is your name ?" he asked. " Clotilde de Montévra'n." "Well! my name is M. de Monté vrain. Clotilde or Ludka, I have the rights of a father over you. Will you come with m« P* " Yes, sir,'1 cried Clotilde with joy. "This very instant ?" " This very instant. Only I have just written to my mother to tell her that I have been taken to a house where they...

MULTUNI IN PARVO. líoe police court to-morrow (Fri day.) Warragul show nèxt Wednesday. Se« advt. For first-class printing at moderate prices, try this office. Advertise in this paper and your business will prosper. Mathieson and Davis fortnightly cattle sale at Trafalgar on Saturday, March 10th. All descriptions of Job Printing ex, ecuted at the News office—quickly, neatly, cheaply. At a sheep sale at Bairnsdale one day last week over 22,000 were sold out of 24,000 yarded. Mr. R. J. Wilmoth, solicitor, visits Trafalgar fortnightly—every alternate Saturday. Nest visit, Saturday, March 3rd. A large quantity of useful and in teresting information to daiiy fanners will, ae usual, be found in this week's The subscription to the News is 2s. per quarter if delivered, and 2s. 6d. if posted. The leading local paper. Another reliable -witness, the Rev. Fielding, testifies in high terms to the skill, patience and ' kindness of Dr. Gmelin, of Trafalgar. A large and Well-selected Stock of Season...

MELBOURNE PIG MARKET. Messrs lícPhail Bros and Co., re port under date of 22nd February, 1906:—About 2,880 pigs yarded for to-day's aale. Stores were fairly well supplied, the greater portion being inferior and lovv-conditioned sorts, consequently competition was exceed ingly dull, and sales were difficult £o effect at low figures. Extra strong made from 10s to 12s, bulk selling at from 3s to 8s. Pork was moderately represented, consisting principally of light-weights. The demand was irregular, but no material alteration in values was noticeable. Extra prime made from 22s to 25s ; prime, 19s to 22s ; light, 14s to 18s. Bacon.— Moderate supply penned, and of good quality. Biddings were "brisk at a considerable advance on former quota , tions. Best sold at from 45s to 50s, a . few higher ; others, 35s to 43s ; light, from 328. Backfatters.—Only a few exceptionally heavy pigs were yarded. The supply consisted principally of good weighty sorts, which were in slack request at low rates. ...

' k IN DEFENCBwOF WIVES. Wj: lags tliere'^^^fcainat wivtís; yOQ ffiáj find niuetgerfci-v/^e dozen of tüéíó^ they spoke of their spouses. Soi¿®'otk these sayjugs are downright shocking', but they do not prove that the wives were bad, but that their hus bands were good for nothing, or else they would not make up such slanders about' their partners. The rottenest bough cracks first, and it looks as if tie male side of the house were the worst oí the two, for it cer tainly has made up the most grum Uie grocer's, all the neighbors hear of it, but of the hundred good ones report Siiyg nothing. A good woman makes no noiso, and no noise is made about her, but a shrew is noted all over the parish. Taking them for all in all, they are most angelical creatures, and a great deal too good for half the husbands..

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY. DAIRY SUPERVISION. MUNICIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES. STATEMENT BY DB. CHEItRY. Some time ago the Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Swinburne) issued a circular to country municipalities, ask ing them whether they proposed to exercise their right under the Milk and Dairy Supervision Act and undertake its administration within their bound aries. Failing this, the department of agriculture would, in accordance with the act, administer the law in all por tions of the state to which the new law applied. The director of agriculture (Dr. Cherry) states that up to the pre sent very few municipalities had in timated what they proposed to do. The act, Dr. Cherry explaiues, would oper ate as regards milk areas—that is, in metropolitan and suburban centres— from its inceptioD, and those districts would be, as a matter of course, admin i istered by "the department. ¡ Dr. Cherry assumes that country ¡ municipalities are waiting to see how . the administration of the department ; will...

MARRIED FOLKS WOULD BE HAPPIER If they tried to be as agreeable as in courtship days. If they kissed and made up at once after every quarrel. If «ach would try to be a'real sup* port and comfort to the other. If household expenses were propor tioned to receipts. If women were as kind to theii husbands as they are to their lovers. If each remembered the other wat practically a human being, not aa angel. If men were as thoughtful for theii . wives as they were for them when sweethearts. I If both parties remembered thttt i they were married for worse as wel/, I as for better. '• I If there were fewer silks and velvets • street costumes, and more plain, tidy : house-dresses—and street ones, too, I for that matter, -K wives and husbands would take thöir pleasure ás they go along, and no$ degenerate into mere tpilink ma chines. -. '

MAKING OTHER MEN ENVIOUS, No man can be judged a good hus band who has not been studied in his own home. Profuse courtesy and elab orate care of a wife when at friends' houses or on days of outings may be assumed for the occasions, hat when he gets into his own home a man is in his everyday surroundings, and then be shows his true self. If he gives thought to the little trifling comforts and pleasures of his wife he is to her a far better husband than if he made handsome money provision for her, but neglected the hundred and one lit tle courtesies that malee the wheels of life run smoothly. The man who is loud and bombas tic, who domineers over and grumbles at everything the servants do, who frightens his children, and who struts about trying to impress everyone with the fact that he Is the master, is hot the man who makes a good husband, no matter how attentive he mr.y seem before strangers. A husband should,.: " be a blessing to his wife, and a. tern to his neighbors, and though '...

I THE MOTHER'S INFLUENCE. their busy needles merely, but by holy and ennobling characters displayed from day to day before young and quickly-observant eyea, " their words and conversation, and i habits of their dally devotion. What the children see^they imitate,

A Colossal Dock. . By the end of 1907 the port of Ham burg will possess the greatest floating dock in the world. It is now under construction in the shipyard of Messrs. Blohm and Voss, at Hamburg, and is to have an accommodation "capacity of 35,000 tons. Its length will be 520 feet, so that the largest warship and ocean liners will be able to use it. The dock will be eventually towed to Brunshau sen, on the Lower Elbe, where it can be utilised by the German fleet in case of war. The capacity of the largest floating dock at present in existence does not exceed 17,500 tons. ¡ Canada has forests which, at the present rate of consumption of timber for paper, would, it Is calculated, sup ply the world with paper pulp for more than 800 years. Tho conscience has to do, not with fitness or expediency or advantage, but with right or wrong. Hope ls the sweetest friend that ever kept a distressed soul company.

Dawn Refused to Appear. - u m good at the Midland town, and various tradesmen were pressing the management for payment. As a last appeal to an unappreciative public a play, "For Honor and for England," was put on. One scene was played in semi-darkness. The hero, sitting in a log hut, was waiting for daybreak, destined to bring him deliverance from his woeB or disaster. "The dawn, at last!" he exclaimed. "Bright Phoebus gilds yonder moun tain peak!" "Bright Phoebus gilds yonder mountain peak!" he repeated in louder tones, annoyed that the cue to turn an the footlights had not been noticed. Still the darkness continued. "Bright Phoebus gilds yonder moun tain, I say!" he roared. "Well, guv'nor," came in clear tones from the gasman at the wings, "I rec kon you'd better git along without Phoebus. They've cut the blessed gas off!"

THE GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL. The world is a great public school, and it soon teaches a new pupil his proper place. If ne has the attributes that belong to a leader, he -will bo in stalled in the position of a leader; if not, whatever his own opinion of his abilities may be, he will be compelled to fall in with the rank and file. If not destined to the next best thing to which. te can'aspire is respectability; but uoman can either be truly great or truly respectable who is vain, pompous, and0yer]}eaj.jjjg. ßy the time the novice j£s f0UUd his legi timate social posi\OQ( be the samo high or low, the l>ifoaMlity is that the i disagreeable trats of his character I will be softened dowu or wom away. | Most likely th', 1)VOcess of abrasion j will be rough—r;rbal)S Very rough; ! ).ut, when it is/u over> aQd he begins : to í&amp;ñ. WjaflfiLras others see him, and 1 not as reflefcl ^ the mirror of self* 1 conceit, he wii be thankful that he ■ has run the ga.ntiet and arrived— ; though ...

KNOWN AS MEPHISTO'S RING. A strange story is that which at tributes the misfortunes of Spain to the possession by its king of a ring of deadly maleficence. "Mephisto's ring," as it is called, is a gold ring set with a large emerald, the centre of which has been hollowed out and contains a ruby, surrounded with tiny diamonds. It came Into Spain (no one knows whence) in the reign of Phillip II., and following its arrival came the suc cession of calamities which brought about the decline of Spanish power. To those who owned the ring it seemed to bring personal disaster, and at. the time of the Spanish-American War it was presented by the Spanish royal family to a church, possibly in the hope that its baleful influence would thus be neutralised. The church was burned to the ground, but the ring was saved, and this time given to a museum. The museum was afterwards struck by lightning twice, and the re tuïn of the ring to the royal family was followed by the defeat of the Spanish army and...